Improvement in revolving-breech fire-arms



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. W. PORTER. Magazine-Gun.

Patented July 8, 1851.

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. W. PORTER.

Magazine-Gun.

Patehted July 8, 1851.

PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

P. WV. PORTER, OF MElVLPHIS, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVlNG-BREECH FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 8,210, dated July 8,1851.

act description, reference being had to the accompan yin g drawings,which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a view,in perspective of one of my self-loading repeating-rifles, portions ofthe stock and barrel being removed to shorten the drawings. Fig. 2 is acentral longitudinal section of the same with the disk-breech removed.Fig. 3 is a plan of the same with the magazine removed. Fig. 4 is atransverse section of the barrel. Fig. 5 is an elevation of thedisk-breech. Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the side pieces of thebreech with the lockplate removed. Fig. 7 is a central horizontalsection of the disk-breech and the parts adjacent thereto. Fig. 8 is asection of the lockplate to show the cap-stripper. Fig. 9 is a verticalsection of a modified form of magazine.

The principal parts of my gun are the barrel, the chambered breech, thelock, the magazine, and the stock; and although these parts arenecessarily connected and some of the members of one act in combinationwith members of another, still 1 shall, as far as practicable, describethem severally in the order in which they are above enumerated.

The barrel A and the stock B of the gun are connected by two side platesor straps, O G, which contain between them the breech -D. These strapsare surmounted by the magazine, and one of them contains the lock.

The barrel A consists of a straight tube, the bore of which is prismaticin contradistinction to the cylindrical bores ordinarily used. Thisprismatic bore is twisted, and its angles replace the ordinaryrifle-grooves by means of which the ball in its passage through thebarrel has the requisite rotary motion imparted to it. It is superior tothe ordinary methods of rifling, because its angles do not clog withlead, and each succeeding ball forces before it any fragmentary remnantof the preceding one. The butt of this barrel has a screw, to, out uponit, as shown in section at Fig. 2. A portion of the screw-threads areturned off to be passed through a cylindrical hole bored through ablock, b, which is formed in one. piece with the side plate,v O, and asecond screw sufficiently small to pass freely through the cylindricalhole in the block I). is out upon the hindermost part of the butt. Aflanged ring-nut, c, is fitted to the larger screw, anda plain ring-nut,c, is. fitted to the smaller one. A feather, d, is let into thecylindrical hole, and a corresponding groove is formed in the barrel, sothat when the butt of the latter is passed into the cylindrical hole itcan be moved lengthwise, but is prevented from turning.

In fitting'the gun together the flanged nut c is first screwed onto theposition in which it is represented in Fig. 2. The butt of the barrel isthen inserted through the block b, a washer, e, is applied to it, andthe hinder nut, c, is screwed up. This latter nut actsas ajamnut tosecure the parts firmly together.

On an inspection of Fig. 2 it will be seen that the flanged nut is notscrewed up to the shoulder upon the barrel, while the hinder extremityof the barrel is in close proximity with the cylindrical face of thedisk-breech, whose position is shown in Fig. 2 by dotted lines. Theobject of this arrangement is to enable the user to set up the barreltoward the breech as its extremity wears away by use. This operation iseasily effected by moving the nuts.

The breech consists of a disk having horizontal journals secured to it,which turn in proper bearings formed in the side pieces or straps, O O,which connect the barrel with the stock. This disk has a number ofradiating cylindrical chambers formed in it, each of which is ofsufficient capacity to receive a charge of powder and a bullet. Thesechambers, as shown in section at Fig. 7, are com posed of twocylindrical sockets of different sizes. The inner,f, is the smaller, andreceives the powder. The outer, f, is sufficiently large to admit theball, which is prevented from entering too great a distance by thering-shout der 9, which connects the powder-chamber with that for theball. One side of this disk breech has a ring-flange, E, Fig. 5,projecting from it, in which spaces are formed to admit the nipples h.The latter are screwed into the side of the disk. This ring-flange is received in a ring-socket, I, formed in the plate G, which covers the lockof the gun. This socket is of such size, when compared with thering-flange, that the cylindrical faces of the latter bear upon thecorresponding faces of the former, and thus form aistrong journal, inaddition to the smaller journals j j, to support the breech when thecharge is fired.

The lock is secured to the side plate, 0, which is thickened to form acase, in which the members of the lock are protected from injury by theentrance of dirt .or the smoke and gases evolved by the combustion ofthe powder. It consists, mainly, of a hammer, H, by which thepercussion-cap is exploded, of a mainspring, J, a sliding bolt, K, alever, L, and two triggers, M M, either of which may be used in firing,and which form the scars by means of which the hammer is retainedcocked.

The hammer, as shown in section at Fig. 7, is constructed to movehorizontally in contradistinction to the vertically-moving hammersgenerally used. It is pivoted in a socket formed in the protuberant partof the side plate, and its heel is forked, one portion, 2', being borneupon by the moving extremity of the mainspring, while the other, i,which is divided into two parts, is received in slots formed in thesliding bolt K. The head of the hammer acts upon the nipples it througha hole formed in the side plate, which is fitted with a thimble, 7c. Thelatter passes through the space in which the lock is contained, andconducts all the smoke and gases which may escape at the nipple to theoutside of the side plate, thus preventing them from clogging the lockand from communicating fire to the succeeding charges. The mainspringlies in a socket formed in the side plate, U. It is secured at oneextremity to the side plate by means of the cross-bar N, which connectsthe two side plates, and its free extremity bears upon the heel of thehammer.

The bolt K is constructed to slide in the socket of the side plate, 0,and serves to impart the vertical movement of the lever L to the hammerH. It has a socket, m, in its lower edge, in which the toe of the leverL works, and also two notches, n 12 to admit the extremities of thetriggers, which act as sears. Itsupper edge has a snug, 0, secured toit, which moves in a slot in the upper face of the side plate, andactuates the cap-primer.

The lever L is pivoted upon a tubular pivot, p,which is secured to thelock-plate, and which serves as the bearing in which one of the journalsj of the disk-breech turns. This lever performs a variety of functions,for by it alone the several operations of loading, priming, revolvingthe breech, and cooking the hammer are all effected, and by which alsothe firing of the gun may, when required, be effected. This lever isfitted with a spring, 1, whose oflice is to restore the lower arm of thelever to its most forward position, in which it is represented in theseveral figures, whenever ithas been drawn back by the hand of theoperator.

In order to effect the revolution of the breech, the latter has a seriesof sockets, r, formed in its face, which correspond in number andrelative positions with the number of chambers in the breech, and aspring-pin, q, is fitted in the adjacent face of the lever, which, asthe latter is moved forward, catches in one of the sockets 1', and asthe lever is drawn back forces the disk to turn therewith. In movingbackward the spring-pin bears against the perpendicular side of thesocket; but in moving forward the pin passes over the inclined bottom ofthe socket, and is thus depressed into a recess in the lever, to enableit to pass over the face of the breech and engage in the next succeedingsocket as soon as the lever is moved sulficiently forward.

In order to lock the breech in its proper position, and thus prevent itfrom moving back with the lever in its forward movement, a springlock-pin, s, is secured to the side piece, 0. This pin engages in one ofaring or series of sockets, t, formed in the side of the diskbreechwhenever in the movement of the diskbreech one of its chambers isbrought in its proper positionwith respect to the butt of the barrel,and looks it firmly in that position. It is necessary that this lock-pinshould be disengaged from its socket before the disk-breech can bemoved. To effect this a hole, u, is formed in the lever L to receive theextremity of the lock-pin spring o, and this hole is inclined in suchmanner that as the lever is moved forward the inclined extremity of thelock-pin spring, bearing against the side of the hole in the lever, isforced outward, thus withdrawing the lock-pin from its socket.

There are two triggers, M M, the one M before and the other behindthelever L. The hinder trigger is that commonly used for tripping thehammer. It is composed of two arms, ww which are secured to a shaft, 00,pivoted in the side pieces, 0 O. The one arm, 10, extends through thelower side of the stock into the trigger-guard O. The other arm bearsagainst the lower side of the sliding bolt, and when the latter isforced back by the lever to cook the hammer enters the appropriate notchn, and forms the sear to keep the hammer cocked until this sear iswithdrawn by the application of the finger of the operator to the arm w.The arm w is borne against the lower side of the bolt by the pressure ofa spring, y, which acts upon a toe, z, projected upward from the longerarm of the trigger. The for ward trigger, M, which is pivoted in thesocket in the side piece, 0, has two arms. The one projects backward,and has a hook formed upon it, which, bearing against the lower edge ofthe sliding bolt K, engages in its forward notch, n, when the bolt ismoved by the lever to cook the hammer. The other arm, W is curveddownward, and its extremity is within the range of the lever L, so thatas the latter is moved forward its front edge strikes the trigger, and,moving it, draws the hook at of its upper arm out of the notch of thesliding bolt, thus releasing the bolt and allowing the hammer to bethrown upon the nipple by the force of the mainspring when the hindertrigger is moved. The forward trigger is used for fast firing, in whichcase the hinder trigger is prevented from engaging its appropriate notchin the sliding bolt, and thus prevented from acting by a movable stop,P, which is pivoted to the trigger-guard, and can be set either to allowthe hinder trigger to act or to prevent it from acting, as may bedesired.

The magazine is mounted upon a curved hook or cap, Q, which is fitted tothe upper side of the disk-breech, and is firmly secured to the sidepieces, 0 0, either by screws, as represented in the drawings, 6r byspring-keys which will admit of its easy removal. This cap is lined withsoft leather b, which, bearing against the disk, packs it closely andprevents the entrance of smoke and dust.

The magazine consists of a cylindrical vessel, which contains thepowder, the balls, and the percussion-caps in separate compartments, andis closed by a cover, R, which is secured to the magazine bybayonet-catchesf, and is lined on the inside with leather or some othersoft substance to pack the joints, and thus prevent the entrance ofwater. The powder is contained in a cylindrical compartment, S, 00-cupying the center of the magazine. The sides of this compartment extendupward sufficiently to meet the cover B, so that when the latter isapplied the powder is prevented from e caping. The powder-chamber isfitted with a charger, by means of which the requisite charges of powderare measured into the chambers of the disk-breech. This chargerconsists, mainly, of a stationary tube, g,. secured to the bottom plateof the magazine, of a sliding tubular vessel, h, which fits the interiorof the stationary tube g, and of a valve, 7:, which is pivoted to theorifice of the stationary tube. The stationary tube extends downwardthrough an orifice in the breech-cap Q, and its valve In is soconstructed that the cylindrical periphery of the disk-breech, passingbeneath it, presses it upward to close the charger, and thus prevent thedischarge of powder; but when any one of the chambers of the breech isbeneath it, the valve opens downward into the chamber to allow thepowder to escape. The valve is coupled by alink with the tubular vesselh, so that when the valve opens this vessel is depressed, and when thevalve shuts this vessel is raised. The head of the vessel is presseddownward by a helical spring, 1, and the interior of the vessel isfitted with an adjustable piston, in, by means of which the bulk of thecharge is regulated. The stationary tube g has an aperture in its side,and a corresponding aperture is formed in the adjacent face of thesliding chamber h, the two apertures being in such relative positionsthat they are opposite each other when the valve and the sliding vesselare raised, thus permitting the powder to pass into the sliding vessel,while as the valve opens the sliding vessel is moved past the apertureof the stationary tube, as shown at Fig. 2, and consequently the passageof powder from the powder-chamber to the charger is stopped or cut off,while the powder in the charger is dropped into the chamber of thebreech beneath. The annular space between the powder-chamher and theexterior case of the magazine is sufficiently broad to admit a bullet.It is traversed by two helical partitions, which wind around thepowder-chamber and are secured thereto, but are not made fast to theouter casings. These partitions form'two winding or inclined passages,the larger, T, of which contains the balls, and the smaller, U, thepercussion-caps. The larger passage terminates at the front of themagazine in a straight descending passage or spout, Y, which. deliversthe balls into the chambers of the disk-breech. The longer extremity ofthis spout is inclined forward, asshown in Fig. 2, so that the ballwhich enters the chamber is pressed. firmly therein by being borneagainst the inclined side of the spout as the chamber is passed beneathit. The smaller passage terminates atthe lock side of the magazinein atube, which descends within a casin g, W, secured to the side of thehood or cap Q, which covers the disk-breech. This tube delivers the capsto the cap-primer, which is situated in a socket sunk in the upper faceof the side plate, 0.

As the powder-chamber, with the helical partitions, are merely insertedinto the outer cats in g, but are not secured thereto, they can readily.be withdrawn therefrom, when the cover R is removed, for the purpose ofrepair or to remedy any derangement in the balls or caps which arecontained in the passages T U.

The cap-primer consists of a small hammer,

X, whose shank is pivoted to the side piece, and whose head isimmediately opposite the highest nipple, h, when the disk-breech is atrest. The head of this hammer is moved laterally from its adjoiningnipple by the snug 0 on the sliding bolt K, which acts upon awedgeformed block 8 upon the hammer-shank, and when the trigger ispulled, and when consequently the sliding bolt moves forward, thehammer-head is pressed up against the nipple, which is now opposite itshead, byasprin g, to, which bears against its back. In order to preventthe loss of bullets and of caps when the magazine is removed from thegun, the orifice of the bullet-passage is fitted with a sliding valve,1), which lies upon the breech-cap Q, and can be moved by means of avalve-stem, 61, either to close the orifice or to leave it unobstructed.The orifice of the cap-tube is also fitted with a sliding valve, 0,which can be moved either to open or to close its orifice.

In order to strip the exploded caps from the nipples, an inclinedspring-stripper, Y, Figs; 2

and S, is secured to the lock-plate Gr within the circular socket inwhich the nipples are received. The point of this stripper extends closeup to the lock-hammer and bears against the nipples, so that as thedisk-breech is revolved each exploded cap is successively stripped off.

In order to allow the escape of smoke in firing, lateral apertures g aremade in the side pieces immediately adjacent to the joint of the barreland breech. Ample space is also afforded for the escape of smoke bothabove and below the butt of the barrel between the side plates. In orderto prevent the en'- trance of dust at the upper of these spaces, it isclosed by a spring-shutter, Z, which rises to allow the smoke to escape,but is immediately passed down again onto its seat by its spring securedto its lower face.

When this tire-arm is to be used the valves 1) e are shut, and thepowder, balls, and caps are introduced into their respective chambers inthe magazine. The finger of the operator is then applied to draw backthelever L. By this movement the lever-pin q, acting upon thedisk-breech, causes it to turn with the lever until the spring lock-pins engages in its appropriate socket and locks the breech. As

soon as this locking is effected the pressure upon the lever L isslackened, and it is moved forward by the action of its spring. As itreaches its most forward position its pin q engages with the next socketof the diskbreech, while the lock-pin sis drawn out of its socket by theaction of the lever upon the inclined extremity of the spring v. As thedisk: breech is turned by the lever L the chamber that was beneath thecharger g is moved forward and asecond oneis moved to thatposition. Inthis movement the cylindrical space between the twochambers,passingbeneath the valve 70, moves it upward to close theorifice of the charger, and to move the sliding vessel h upward untilthe aperture in it corresponds with that in the stationary tube, thusallowing the powder from its chamber to pass into and fill the charger.As then the second chamber of the breech is brought beneath the valve kthe latter, opening downward, allows the powder to drop into thechamber. By the movement of thelever the snug 0, acting upon thecap-primer X, moves it outward, and the cap-valve e is drawn back toallow the caps to move downward in their passage. As then the cock islet down in the usual manner, the snug,-moving back ward with thesliding bolt, allows the priming-hammer X to press against the lowermostcap, which is delivered by the cap-tube immediately opposite theadjacent nipple, and to force it upon the latter,,thus priming the gun.The valve 1) is now opened, and the lever L is again drawn back, bywhich operation the above-describedmovemen ts are-repeated, a secondcharge of powder and a second cap are applied to the disk-breech, andthe chamber previously filled with powder is passed beneath thebullet-tube V, and a bullet drops into the enlarged portion of thechamber over the powder, and rests upon the shoulder g. A third movementof the lever L brings the loaded chamber of the breech opposite the buttof the barrel, while its appropriate nipple, with the cap thereon, isbrought opposite the hammer of the look, while at the same time a thirdcharge of powder and a bullet are delivered to their respectivechambers. If, now, the trigger be pulled, the charge inv the chamberopposite the butt of the barrel will be fired, and a third cap will beapplied by the cap-primer to its proper nipple. Every succeedingmovement of the lever L will now bring a loaded and primedbreech-chamber in a position to be fired by pulling the trigger, and thefiring can be kept up as long as sufficient powder, bullets, and capsremain in the magazine, which in'this instance is constructed to containthirty rounds.

If the charges are to be fired with great rapidity, the main trigger Mis withheld from engaging in its appropriate notch by moving the stop P.Hence the hammer will be held cooked by the forward trigger alone,which, as before stated, is disengaged by the lever L in its forwardmovement. and consequently a charge will be fired-as fast as the levercan be moved backward and forward until the powder, balls, and caps areexhausted.

In order to prevent the accidental movement of the lever'L incarryingthe gun, a latch, A, is pivoted to the lower side of the side plate, U,and, when the gun is to be used, is turned back, as shown in Figs. 2 and6; but when the gun is not to be fired this latch is turned forwarduntil its forward extremity engages in a suitable notch, n formed in thelever, thus locking the latterin its most forward position andpreventing its movement.

The fire-arm above described is constructed to prime withpercussion-caps; but percussionpills may be used in this implement bysubstituting pill-tubes in place of the nipples.

The magazine, if attached to the gun by keys, as before stated, may beremoved and carried in the pocket until it is wanted for use; and whenbut few rounds are to be fired I prefer to employ a smaller flatmagazine, such as is represented in section at Fig. 9. If the butt ofthe barrel wears away by long use, the barrel must be set up toward thebreech by turning the nuts.

The sight-s are secured to the barrel, as at B B, in such positions thatthe gunner sights along the side of the cap of the disk-breech, whichthus actsas a guide to his eye and enables him to take sight quickly.

Having thus described my self-loading repeating fire-arm, what I claimas my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a cocking-lever, I claim the two triggers M M,arranged and operating in such manner that the tripping of the hammercan be effected either in the ordinary manner by pulling a trigger or bythe return movement of the cocking-lever.

2. I claim the combination of the sliding bolt K with the cap-primer X,the two being so arranged that as the hammer is tripped by pulling thetrigger a cap is applied to one of the nipples of the chambered breech,by which means the chambers are revolved by the back motion of the cockand capped by its forward mot-ion, the capping by this arrangement beingeffected in one-half the time in which it can be done by othersheretofore devised.

3. I claim the construction of the cap and bullet passages, thepowder-magazine, and the exterior case, in such manner that the bulletand cap passages and the included powderchamber can be withdrawn fromthe exterior case which incloses them, to give free access to 6. Incombination with a revolving-breech I fire-arm, I claim the springdust-plate Z, which permits the escape of smoke, but prevents theentrance of dirt.

7. I claim the forward inclination of the spout of the bullet-passage inconnection with a turning breech, the two being so arranged that whenthe latter is turning the bullet dropped into the chamber is pressedagainst the inclined portion of the spout, and is by it forced down inthe chamber of the breech, the

* inclined surface of the spout thus performing the office of a rammer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

PARRY W. PORTER.

Witnesses:

H. L. PARHAM, JOHN FOWLER, Jr.

